The Healing Home and Garden by Paula Robinson

As someone who has recently plunged—enthusiastically, chaotically, and who has definitely had way too many paint test samples—into renovating a home and garden, I am so glad I read Paula Robinson’s The Healing Home and Garden right in the middle of the madness. Truly, it felt like having a calm, wise friend whispering guidance while I was knee-deep in piles of stones.

When we’re building or renovating, we obsess over Pinterest boards, comparing tiles at the level of an Olympic gold medalist! We scrutinise colour, texture, furniture, lighting… but one thing we rarely consider is the energetic side of the home we’re crafting. The very thing that influences how we feel in our space—and therefore how we feel in our lives.

Energy is a fundamental part of our success and happiness. It shapes our clarity, our motivation, our sense of possibility. When our surroundings drain us, distract us, or feel “off,” our energy scatters. But when our environment inspires us—quietly, beautifully, and without fuss—it becomes integral in everything we do, including impacting our health and wellbeing. Paula reminds us that tending to our space is, in truth, tending to our own vitality.

As a full-blown energy enthusiast, I found Paula’s book refreshingly different from the stack of design books I devoured while building. Her introduction of The Five Element Solution, drawn from Chinese medicine, adds a whole new layer: that our homes can reflect our elemental personality type and create a “home base” that truly supports us. Suddenly, it made sense why I kept gravitating toward certain colours and textures—I was not being indecisive; I was being me!

Paula encourages us to let intuition be our inner decorator—one who gently asks:
Does this space calm me? Does this corner actually support how I want to live? Does this energy feel like mine… or does it feel like it came free with the previous owner’s old carpet?

By tuning in this way, we move beyond trends and into spaces that genuinely nourish us.

Another delight in the book is the contribution from intuition expert Sonia Choquette, whose insights deepen each chapter. It feels like having two wise guides encouraging you to listen to your heart, not the builders, plumbers, and people around you, instead gently escorting you toward a home that feels like peace, not pressure.

Paula also shows how a home is never just a collection of rooms—it’s a living expression of who we are becoming. Her concept of the Personal Blueprint helps us look at our values, memories, and desires with intention. And she emphasises the importance of the entrance—that magical threshold where energy, emotion, and expectation collide. It’s not just a door; it’s a ritual moment. (And yes, it’s the universe asking us to please keep it free of clutter.)

From here, she introduces the idea of our Sensory Signpost—the subtle cues of scent, colour, sound, and texture that call us back to ourselves. These signposts help us create spaces that restore us rather than overwhelm us. That’s why the art or photography we choose to put on our walls energetically impacts how we feel every day. When you invest in things you love, each time you see it, it makes you feel good, and this feeling goes all the way down to your cellular level. 

One of my favourite concepts is the story and re-storying of our home: the realisation that every object holds a narrative. By consciously choosing what story we want our home to tell, we transform our environment from a backdrop into a collaborator in our healing.

Ultimately, authentic expression runs through everything Paula teaches. A healing home isn’t about perfection—it’s about honesty, presence, and self-knowledge. When we allow our spaces to speak our truth, they start to quietly, consistently support our growth.

A beautiful home and garden amplify all of this. Beauty, as Paula defines it, isn’t about luxury—it’s about resonance. It’s that wonderful moment when you walk into your home and your shoulders drop a little because something inside you says, This feels good.
A thoughtfully shaped home nourishes our daily rituals; a living garden reconnects us to something steadier than our to-do lists.

Together, they restore your energy, support your wellbeing, and strengthen your capacity to flourish. When your home aligns with who you are, success and happiness stop feeling like distant goals—they become the natural result of living in a place that lifts your spirits and is in harmony with your surroundings, your intuition, and yours.

You can get your own copy of Paula's book The Healing Home and Garden HERE.